2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season (zal0phus)
The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season, while about average in number of named storms, was above average in ACE; nonetheless, it was the least active of the seasons in the 2021-2024 phase of extreme activity. The 2022 season featured 14 cyclones, 11 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes, largely due to an El Nino event, yet it inflicted some 125 billion USD in damages and caused the loss of approximately 1,100 human lives, largely along the upper Gulf Coast. Among these storms, the most damaging by far were a triad of Gulf Coast major hurricanes- Alex, the earliest recorded major hurricane in the Atlantic, which wreaked havoc in Houston, Hermine, which unexpectedly strengthened just off the coast of Alabama, and Karl, a large, powerful cyclone that slammed into southwest Florida in an eerie foreshadowing of Sean the next year. Of these, Karl was the strongest in pressure, but Alex surpassed it in regards to wind. Strangely, Hurricane Nicole, a weak November Category 2, survived the crossover to the Pacific after impacting Costa Rica and intensified into an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane south of Mexico before making an unheard-of Category 5 landfall near Cabo San Lucas and a slightly weaker landfall on the Mexican mainland. The majority of other storms were weak and short-lived, save for Bonnie and Colin. Timeline }} Forecasts In stark contrast to the previous and following years, forecasts for 2022 were remarkably accurate- both pre-season and mid-season forecasts called for a slightly above average season of 10-14 storms, 6-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes. Systems Hurricane Alex Hurricane Alex was the costliest hurricane of the season and one of the worst storms to hit Texas in recorded history. An East Pacific tropical depression formed just off the coast of Guatemala on May 20. Expected to consolidate into Tropical Storm Blas, it instead swiftly moved inland and became extratropical. Upon emerging into the Gulf of Mexico on May 21, it regained tropical characteristics and became Tropical Storm Alex six hours later. Alex slowly moved north over the course of May 21 and 22, achieving hurricane status by May 23. Over the next day or so, Alex moved steadily northwest as it rapidly intensified. The compact, intense cyclone made landfall on the Bolivar Peninsula on May 24 at a peak intensity of 951 mbar with winds of 155 mph, tearing a destructive path across Pearland and parts of Houston and inflicting massive devastation. Operationally, the cyclone was estimated to have had winds of 140 mph at landfall, but it was retroactively upgraded in spring 2023 as a result of the extreme damage witnessed in Houston. Alex retained its structure over land for a long time, dissipating over western Oklahoma on May 27. Alex was regarded as the worst hurricane to hit the Houston area since Harvey- it did not inflict the majority of its $70 billion in damages from flooding, but rather from catastrophic wind damage and its extreme mesovortices. One such mesovortex in South Park, Houston produced a gust of 249 mph. This is the highest wind speed ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricane Bonnie A tropical wave tracked into the lower Caribbean and consolidated into Tropical Depression 02L south of Hispaniola on June 19, being designated Tropical Storm Bonnie just before moving ashore Hispaniola later that day. Bonnie tracked north into the southwestern Atlantic and meandered west, achieving hurricane status on June 21 and major hurricane status on June 23. It was predicted by models that Bonnie would strike Massachusetts as a strong Category 2 hurricane, the strongest hit to New England since 1991's Bob; however, Bonnie steered clear of any land over the course of its existence and dissipated south of Newfoundland on June 29. Its impacts were limited to minor rains in the Dominican Republic and swells along the East Coast. . . Hurricane Colin An African tropical wave was designated a tropical depression on July 25 and consolidated into Tropical Storm Colin the following day. Colin moved steadily northwest for much of its existence, unexpectedly reaching Category 4 intensity at a very northerly latitude on July 28 and peak strength two days later. Colin neither threatened nor impacted land, and dissipated a fair distance west of the United Kingdom on August 4. However, its large swells swept several people and one dog out to sea in Maritime Canada and New England; a young couple in Nova Scotia was rescued but an elderly man perished in New Hampshire, additionally, a dog captured in a swell in Martha's Vineyard was never recovered. . Tropical Storm Danielle A very large tropical wave, shortly after moving across Florida, gained fully tropical characteristics on August 15 and was designated Tropical Storm Danielle early on August 16. Six hours later, it moved inland in unincorporated Taylor County, Florida at peak intensity; it dissipated over North Carolina the following day. Damages totaled to $500 million, mainly in the Carolinas. . . . . . Hurricane Earl Tropical Depression 05L formed on August 18 and was designated Tropical Storm Earl some 18 hours later. Initially predicted to become a Category 5 hurricane tracking into Cancun and then Houston, Earl defied predictions and remained on a constant westward trajectory at minimal hurricane intensity. Gradual intensification commenced as Earl approached the Yucatan, and Earl made landfall with winds of 100 mph near the Belize-Guatemala border on August 22. It emerged into the Pacific as a tropical depression and dissipated shortly thereafter. . . . Hurricane Fiona A tropical wave moved offshore of Mauritania and was designated a tropical depression on August 25, being named Tropical Storm Fiona the next day. Unusually, the nascent system looped back towards Africa and intensified into a hurricane. Fiona weakened to a tropical depression before making landfall near Nouadhibou, Mauritania on August 28, causing minor flooding and providing needed rains. It dissipated less than three hours later. . . . Tropical Storm Gaston The remnants of Hurricane Earl stalled in the Pacific and moved inland over Chiapas, emerging into the Bay of Campeche and remaining static for several days. The system coalesced into a tropical depression late on September 1 and became Tropical Storm Gaston early on September 2; the incipient system began intensification and swiftly made landfall near Veracruz, Mexico, dissipating six hours after. . . . Hurricane Hermine Hurricane Hermine was the deadliest storm of the season, the worst impact to coastal Alabama and Mississippi since Katrina 17 years prior. Forming well east of the Leeward Islands from a tropical wave on September 5, Hermine briefly achieved Category 3 status on September 8, reaching an initial peak intensity of 115 mph and 970 mbar. The cyclone then tracked into an area of wind shear and was ripped apart, declining into a tropical storm as it passed over the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico and becoming a tropical depression upon landfall in the Dominican Republic. Hermine became extratropical as it paralleled the southern shore of Cuba and moved towards the Gulf of Mexico, not expected to regenerate. However, Hermine regained tropical characteristics on September 12 over the central Gulf and began to gradually intensify. There was considerable uncertainty in its fate- if it were to remain weak, Hermine would track into the vicinity of New Orleans, but if it were to significantly strengthen, it would recurve and strike north of Tampa. Ultimately, Hermine remained weak until it began a closer approach to coastal Mississippi and Alabama- it gained major hurricane status and dramatically slowed down before reaching its peak strength just after passing over Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The large, powerful hurricane lingered off the coast for almost a day before making landfall just east of Mobile with winds of 135 mph and a pressure of 944 mbar. Hermine continued inland, and it finally lost tropical status over West Virginia on September 17. Hermine's large size and 16-foot storm surge caused severe flooding across the Mobile metropolitan area, killing some 600 people and causing around $20 billion in damages. Had it come ashore a mere 30 miles further west, it is likely Hermine would have caused over $80 billion worth of damage. Subtropical Storm Ian On September 15, an upper-level low in the central Atlantic gained tropical characteristics and was designated Subtropical Storm Ian. An insignificant storm, Ian never became fully tropical and dissipated on September 18.. . . . . . . Hurricane Julia Tropical Depression 10 formed from a tropical wave in the southern Bahamas on September 24. Just over a day later, it was designated Tropical Storm Julia while over Great Abaco; initially predicted to track into South Carolina as a tropical storm, Julia instead reached hurricane intensity and stayed out at sea, passing close to the Outer Banks at peak strength and ultimately dissipating north of Newfoundland early on September 30. . . . Hurricane Karl Hurricane Karl was the strongest storm of the season in terms of central pressure and an unwelcome follow-up to the previous year's Ida, another cyclone of great size that impacted Southwest Florida. An unusual western-moving Central American Gyre gained fully tropical characteristics north of the Dutch Antilles late on October 11, becoming Tropical Storm Karl in the afternoon of October 12. Due to the cyclone's immense size and loose banding, intensification was relatively slow at first, but as Karl approached Cuba its circulation tightened up and abrupt, pronounced intensification began. By the end of October 13, Karl had intensified into a Category 2 hurricane; rapid intensification occurred in the early morning of October 14. Karl reached its initial peak strength of 930 mbar and 150 mph winds that evening shortly before making landfall in Pinar Del Rio Province, Cuba, where it inflicted extreme damage to tobacco and banana crops. Karl emerged into the Straits of Florida as a high-end Category 3 with winds of 125 mph and a largely unchanged central pressure; however, the cyclone had expanded in size and began to sluggishly reintensify over the warm waters of the Straits. Early on October 15, Karl reached a secondary peak intensity of 926 mbar and 135 mph winds; it made a brief landfall at Marathon, Florida at this intensity. An eyewall replacement cycle commenced and Karl weakened to a 125 mph Category 3 with a central pressure of 928 mbar. Shortly before 12:00 EST that day, Karl made landfall near Cape Sable, FL at the same intensity. Due to Karl's large size, a storm surge of roughly 18 feet was observed along the coasts of Southwest Florida, the Florida Keys, and parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, which inflicted the majority of damages resulting from the formidable cyclone. Karl raced north along the Gulf Stream, weakening and expanding as it went, and it made its final landfall in the vicinity of Wilmington, North Carolina as an 105-mph Category 2 hurricane on October 16 before dissipating 18 hours later over New York. Along its destructive path, Karl caused some $30 billion USD in damages and approximately 30 deaths. Hurricane Lisa Lisa was a highly unusual late October Texas hurricane that inflicted moderate damage in the region of Corpus Christi. A Central American Gyre meandered north and coalesced into a tropical depression on October 24, becoming Tropical Storm Lisa early on October 25. The nascent system began rapid intensification, reaching its peak intensity upon landfall near Port Lavaca, TX. It dissipated the evening of October 25, having inflicted some $500 million worth of damage in the Corpus Christi metropolitan area. . . . Hurricane Martin A non-tropical low gained tropical characteristics in the northeastern Atlantic on November 2, becoming Tropical Storm Martin twelve hours later. The cyclone meandered north where it reached minimal hurricane intensity; a status it maintained for several days as it gradually reached its peak intensity. However, gradual weakening followed, and Martin dissipated over frigid waters off the coast of Portugal on November 9. Its remnants made landfall in Portugal and later France. . . . . Hurricane Nicole Hurricane Nicole was the strongest cyclone in the Western Hemisphere since Patricia seven years prior and the only recorded Category 5 landfalling East Pacific hurricane. In its existence in the Atlantic, Nicole peaked as a Category 2 cyclone that dropped severe rains in Nicaragua. A late-forming Central American Gyre became Tropical Storm Nicole on November 15, making landfall on the rural Mosquito Coast on November 17 slightly below peak intensity. As it swept across Nicaragua, Nicole dropped torrential rains, leading to severe flash flooding in rural regions and causing around 300 deaths. Upon emerging into the Pacific, Nicole tracked generally south and west; however, it soon began extreme intensification. Fueled by the El Niño event's warm waters, Nicole skyrocketed in intensity on November 19, going from a 75-mph Category 1 to a 175-mph Category 5 within 24 hours. Explosive intensification continued on November 20, with Nicole reaching its staggering peak intensity of 891 mbar central pressure and 195 mph winds later that day. An eyewall replacement cycle weakened Nicole to a Category 3 over the next few days; however, it reached low-end Category 5 intensity again. On November 24, Nicole slammed into the Baja California Peninsula in an unprecedented 160-mph, 920 mbar landfall, continuing across the rugged terrain and cold waters to make a landfall in Sinaloa state later that day with winds of 130 mph. Nicole dissipated shortly thereafter, having made history, killed 500, and inflicted some $1 billion in damages. Names and Retirement The following names were used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2022. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2028 season. This is the same list used for the 2016 season, except for Martin and Owen, which replaced Matthew and Otto. The name Martin saw its first use this year; Owen went unused. * Alex * Bonnie * Colin * Danielle * Earl * Fiona * Gaston * Hermine * Ian * Julia * Karl * Lisa * Martin * Nicole Retirement The World Meteorological Organization retired four names in the spring of 2023: Alex, Hermine, Karl, and Nicole. They were replaced in the 2028 season by Adam, Harriet, Kendrick, ''and ''Naomi, respectively. Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons